Pump-governor.



- No. 640,767. Patented Jan. 9, I900.

F. HOFFMAN.

PUMP GOVERNOR.

(Application filed. June 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

52 MVEJYZJF if M0 7 fi w Tnz- Nonms vnsns cc. Pnomuwm, w u NGTON u cUNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

FRANK HOFFMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

PUM P-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,767, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed June 15,1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Oincinnati, Hamilton county, State of Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Pump-Governors; and I do declarethat the following is a clear, full, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, attention being called to theaccompanying drawings, with the reference-numerals marked thereon, whichform a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling and governing theoperation of pumps where they are actuated by a suitable motor as,forinstance,by a steam-engineand which acts in such manner that the lattersupplies power in proportion to requirements of the former andeventually ceases to furnish such power altogether in case no furtherdemands are made on the pump. The action of the means provided by me forso controlling the operation of the steam-engine or motor is altogetherautomatic and subject to the condition and pressure of the water passingthrough the delivery-conduits of the pump.

My invention is of particular value when applied, for instance, to steamfire-engines, combining a pump operated by a steam-engine, in which caseit enables the pipeman handling the nozzle to control the operation ofthe distant fire-engine according to his immediate requirements.

The difficulty of communication at fires be tween the man handling thenozzle and the engineer tending the fire-engine is a recognized fact andcaused by the distance between the two, they being frequently out ofsight of 'each other and the delay in transmitting orders causes oftenunnecessary damage. This damage may be caused by failure of reducingpromptly a stream too heavy or to cut it off instantly altogether whennot required any more, or by delay in furnishing water quickly whenneeded again. My invention enables the man at the nozzle, who is thebest judge for requirements by reason of being at the point of action,to control the supply accordingly. This is obtained by controlling thepressure in the delivery pipe or hose and is Serial No. 720,625. (Nomodel.)

automatic in its efiect upon the operation of the steam-engine or motor.I

My invention consists of the provision of certain devices and theirconstruction, all as shown and described, and whereby the desiredobjects are attained.

In the following specification, and partiedlarly pointed out in theclaims at the end thereof, is found a full description of my invention,together with its operation, parts, and construction, which latter isalso illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 showsthe different parts of my invention arranged in diagrammatic order,certain parts being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a top view of the valvepermitting escape of water at a certain pressure.

5 is a pipe controlled by a valve 6 and communicating when this latteris open with the water-delivery in a manner to be capable of receiving apart of the water being pumped and at the same pressure as such latter.In a steam fire-engine a convenient place for such attachment may befound at the socalled gooseneck leading to the airchamber of the pumpand in which the water-pressure is the same as in the hose. Pipe 5 isordinarily held closed by a valve 7 contained within a valve-chamber 8and held to its seat 9 by a spring 11. A pipe 12 leads from valve-housing 8 to a cylinder 13, which contains a piston 14, held normally nearone end of the latter by a spring 15. the piston there leads a stem 16outwardly and connects to a lever 17, which is mounted in a certainmanner so as to be capable when oscillated in a certain direction tocontrol the operation of the engine which actuates the 90 pump. For suchpurpose it connects to a valve-controlling passage through the steampipe18, which supplies steam from the boiler to the steam-cylinder. Thispassage is con-, 1 trolled by a valve 19, which is preferably of 5 thebutterfly type, swiveling on trunnions, to

one of which (indicated by 10) lever 17 connects. This valve is normallyopen and is provided in addition to the ordinary throttlevalve, (notshown,) by which passage through 100 the steam-pipe is positivelycontrolled.

The operation, in short, now is as follows:

From the inner side of Spring ll is regulated in its action to yieldonly when a certain water-pressure is exceeded, which pressure has beendetermined upon beforehand as a working pressure to suit certainconditions. If new the Water-pressure in the water-delivery conduits orhose rises above this determined pressure, then valve 7 will be liftedand admit water to housing 8 and from there through pipe 12 to cylinder13. Here it acts against piston 14, which by means of stem 16 acts uponlever 17, which controls the operation of the motor. In the case de-'scribed the efiect of the action upon lever 17 is to cause this latterto either partly or wholly close the normally open butterfly-valve 19.Passage through the steam-pipe will thus be impaired or cut 057',limiting accordinglyor terminating the operation of the steam-en-v gine.This rise in pressure of the pumped water necessary to obtain all theseeftects may be due to accidental causes or brought about intentionally.Of the accidental causes may be sudden impediments obstructing freepassage of water through the hose and are frequently caused by bends orkinks in the latter. In such case my device acts as a safety applianceand prevents bursting of the hose. For stopping the engine intentionallysuch rise of pressure of the pumped wateris created by an artificialimpediment in shape of any of the customary cut offs provided indischarge-nozzles and which is partly or wholly closed. Any suchimpediment leading to a rise in pressure of the pumped Water inauguratesat once the series of actions described above, with the effect ofstopping the motor and depriving the pump of its power. Restoring thefree flow of water by removal of this impediment causes the motor toimmediately operate the pump again. It is to be understood that thestoppages which it is intended for my device to accomplish are only suchwhich are of limited duration. If the interruption is to last any lengthof time, then the steam-supply pipe is closed by means of the regularthrottle-valve the same as at the end of operations.

The excess above normal watenpressure at which the device acts tooperate lever 17 should be as little as possible to render the devicesufficiently sensitive to enable it to respond instantly. Therefore thewa ter-pressure in pipe 12 required to move piston 14: should be notmore than from six to twelve ounces. Excess of this pressure wouldindicate that certain parts of the mechanism as, for instance, thetrunnions of the butterliy-valve-do not work sufticiently free andrequire looking after. To be able to have this pressure underconstantcontrol, I provide a gage 21.

7 At times. when the pressure in pipe 5 approaches the limit or reachesthe same for moments valve 7 commences to vibrate, permit ting a limitedescape of water.'

mitted to pass 0E through a Waste-pipe 2 2, controlled by a valve 23. Bymeans of this This is perlatter passagethrough pipe 22 is solimited asnot to interfere with the intended operation of the device when valve 7opens fully on a decided excess of pressure in pipe 5. The dischargefrom this waste-pipe may be directed under the fire-box of the engine toportect the street-pavement against the heat.

Piston 14; is packed with a leather bushing 20 and provided with legs30, which prevent it from coming fully to a seat against the open end ofcylinder 13. This permits the water when entering to act at once againstthe full face of the piston and against the leather bushing, with theeffect of spreading the same against the inside of the cylinder andpreventing leakage.

To prevent piston 14 from moving on after lever 17 has been swungsufficiently to do its workthat is, in this case afterit has seatedvalve 19 and at which time an excess of movement would do damage,possibly by bending stem 16such movement is limited byashoulder 2% onthis latter when it'comcs in contact with anothershoulder 25 withincylinder 13. The position of oneshoulder at least is made adjustable topermit accurate regulation as to timeof these incidents-that is,termination of movement of piston 14: at the end of the stroke of lever17. In this case shoulder 25 is made adjustable, which is done byconnecting it with a plug 26, attached to cylinder 13 by a screwconnection. Steml 6 passes freely through a perforation in this pluglarge enough to obviate all friction. The length of stem 16 may beregulated by a coupling 27.

By changin g the pressure with which spring 11 bear against valve 7 thedevice may be set to operate at various water-pressures. This isattained by adjusting the length of spring 11, which is done by movingshoulder 28, against which spring 11 is seated, to or from valve "7. Forsuch purpose shoulder 28 is connected to form a part of a stem 29,mounted by means of a coarse screw-thread in the end of valve-housing8'. This stem has an operating-handle 31, pivotally connected andprovided with a knife-edged projection 32, which after turning of stem29 is dropped in any one of the notches 33 provided in the upturned edge34 of a flanged ring 35, attached tothe valve-housing. Figures oppositethese notches denote the pressure which spring 11 exerts when handle 31has been turned to a particular notch. At the beginning of operationsthe desired notch is selected, according to the size and force requiredfor the stream to be ejected.

Ring 35 is'adjustably connected by means of a screw-thread, so that theposition of the ICC notches with reference to stem 29 may be closelyadjusted and also readjusted to suit the condition of spring 11 in caseit loses its adjustment by changes of its strength. It is securely heldin its adjusted position by 7 means of a set-screw 36.

The whole device may be out out of action by closing valve 6 in case itsoperation be comes impaired by accidental injury, which especially infire-engines is liable to occur.

Having described my invention, I claim as new- 1. In a devicecontrolling operation of a pump by controlling the operation of themotor which actuates the same, the combination of a cylinder, a pistonadapted to reciprocate therein, and operatively connected to the meanswhich control operation of the motor, a pipe connecting this cylinderwith the delivery of the pump a valve in this pipe adapted to beadjusted to open at certain pressures, a spring 11, to hold it againstits seat, a shoulder 28, against which this spring is seated, a stem 29carrying this shoulder 28, and mounted with a screw connection, anoperating-handle 31 pivotally connected thereto and a notched ring 34,operating in conjunction therewith.

2. In a device controlling operation of a pump by controlling the motorwhich actuates the same, the combination of a lever 17 which controlsthe motor, a cylinder 13 open at one end, a piston 14 contained therein,a stem connecting it with lever 17, a spring 15 to hold it in a positionagainst the open end of the cylinder, a valve-housing 8, a pipe 5connecting it with a pump-delivery, a pipe 12 leading from housing 8 tothe open end of cylinder 13, a waste-pipe 22 connected with pipe 12 avalve to control the quantity of Wastewater passing through it, a valve7 contained in housing 8, and a spring to hold it closed against acertain pressure in the pump-delivery which when exceeded causes saidvalve a cylinder 13 in which it is contained, a stem extending outsideand beyond the latter and connecting it with the means controllingoperation of the motor, a shoulder 24 on this stem, a stop 25 within thecylinder to limit motion of the piston, when engaging shoulder 24, aspring to keep the piston seated in one end of its cylinder which end isopen and a pipe connecting this open end with the deliv= ery of thepump.

4. In a device to control a motor which op.- erates a pump, thecombination of a piston 14, a cylinder 13 in which it is contained, astem 16 connecting it with the means controlling operation of the motor,a shoulder 24 on this stem, a screw-plug 26 mounted in one end ofcylinder 13, and forming with its inner end a stop 25, which inconjunction with shoulder 24 operates to limit the motion of the piston,a perforation in this plug to permit stem 16 to pass, a spring to keepthe piston seated in one end of cylinder 13 which end is open and a pipeto connect this end with the delivery of the pump.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK HOFFMAN.

